Africa should not simply participate in the World Heritage system, but help shape its future, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Doreen Katusiime, has said.
Katusiime made the call while opening the Launch Workshop for National Focal Points for the Fourth Cycle of Periodic Reporting in Africa, taking place in Kampala.
Hosted by the Government of Uganda in cooperation with UNESCO and the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), the workshop brings together National Focal Points from across the continent, representatives of UNESCO, AWHF and advisory bodies, to set the agenda for the next phase of heritage reporting and action in Africa.
“That discussion carried a very important message: Africa should not simply participate in the World Heritage system. Africa should help shape it,” Katusiime said, referencing a high-level event Uganda co-organised with UNESCO World Heritage Centre in Busan during the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee earlier this year.
The Permanent Secretary said the meeting in Kampala was timely, coming at a time when Uganda has recognised cultural heritage as a key driver for sustainable development and tourism growth under its Ten-Fold Growth Strategy that seeks to grow the economy from $50 billion to $500 billion by 2040.
She noted that the UN General Assembly has declared a Cultural Decade 2027-2036, placing culture at the heart of global development, with culture and creative industries currently generating about 3.39% of global GDP.
Katusiime challenged the focal points to ensure the Fourth Cycle leaves behind more than just reports, but a practical legacy.
“The Regional Action Plan that will emerge from this cycle must become part of our collective legacy. It should not be an Action Plan prepared at the end of the exercise and placed on a shelf,” she said.
She urged delegates to focus on what Africa can achieve together, mobilising existing expertise on the continent rather than always looking outside for solutions.
“Africa has considerable expertise. We have experienced site managers, professionals and experts. We have universities and training institutions. We have the African World Heritage Fund,” she said, citing the Nairobi Outcome on Heritage and Authenticity as an example of how African perspectives have enriched global heritage debate.
Katusiime said the Fourth Cycle should connect political leadership, national coordination, professional expertise and the realities faced by site managers daily, including conservation, communities, tourism, climate change and development pressures.
She also used the platform to rally African experts to contribute to the AWHF endowment fund to reduce overreliance on foreign donations and grants, and to build African ownership.
“To stop overreliance on foreign donation and grants, we must build our empire by contributing to the endowment fund,” she said.
Earlier, the host National Focal Point, Jackline Nyiracyiza Besigye, welcomed delegates, reminding them that the workshop was not just a technical meeting but a crucial space for dialogue, mutual learning and building stronger professional networks.
The workshop will be followed by a colloquium starting October 29th to reflect on African Heritage from 2006 to date and projections to 2035.